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Topic: Phantom Thread - Interviews (Read 9834 times)

I'm pretty sure I have seen and read more interviews with Anderson these last few weeks than ever before, combined for all the previous films. Which surely has a lot to do with the fact that he talks a lot about Phantom Thread. I must admit that while he is by far my favorite director I have paid not much attention to the man himself, as a person. Sure, I watched some interviews but if I had to say anything about him even 2-3 years ago I would probably say he is a good talker, a bit self-important maybe, in a way I kind of like or at least understand in artists I respect. And maybe that he doesn't like to do press and generally talk about his work.

Anyway, is it just me or has he changed a lot in recent years? I mean, what was the press conference for the Master when both him and Phoenix didn't even care to pretend they gave a shit? Toronto I guess. I tried to google it now and came across that one: https://vimeo.com/57791230. Haven't seen that before but the annoyed/bored body language in first 30 sec show exactly what I mean. Five years later and he seems so much more friendly, for a lack of a better word. More mature? Mellow? Answering the questions (which are not much different and less repetitive than they were for the Master) not just with more patience but apparently genuine enthusiasm. Talking about personal stuff, children etc. It's not just about his answers and attitude to interviews. Seems like a different person sometimes. More humble also. I know the guy is 47 now but the change is striking to me. Even visually. He has gotten older, hasn't he?

Five years later and he seems so much more friendly, for a lack of a better word. More mature? Mellow? Answering the questions (which are not much different and less repetitive than they were for the Master) not just with more patience but apparently genuine enthusiasm. Talking about personal stuff, children etc. It's not just about his answers and attitude to interviews. Seems like a different person sometimes. More humble also. I know the guy is 47 now but the change is striking to me. Even visually. He has gotten older, hasn't he?

This tour has to be the most press he's ever done in his life for any given film (or combined, as you mention). He's certainly older. Never had any kids myself, but that has to (hopefully) mature a person? I also wonder if it finally dawned on him (or maybe impressed upon him by the money lenders?) that if this film was going to do better at the box office than the last two (or especially the last one), perhaps he better get out there...? Or, as you suggest, maybe he's honestly more enthusiastic about this film. It certainly deserves it.

I don't think he is more enthusiastic about Phantom Thread. Well, maybe he is but that's not what I meant. Sorry, English not being by first language may be the issue here. My wild guess is he puts the Master and/or TWBB above the new one. He named The Master as the one he is most proud of during AMA, right? I just think he seems more enthusiastic towards the idea of talking to other people now about not just his work but also his family etc. Much more engaged in the conversation in a humble, sincere way. I doubt it's forced or faked. I bet the amount of press he does has little influence on the box office, anyway.

As for the kids and getting older, the change still seems sudden to me. It's only 3-5 year difference, he already had kids back then and he's changed from a bit self-important, somehow difficult and confident genius to friendly, humble, almost shy (while still swearing a lot;)) family man who happens to make great movies for a living.

I also wonder if it finally dawned on him (or maybe impressed upon him by the money lenders?) that if this film was going to do better at the box office than the last two (or especially the last one), perhaps he better get out there...?

I think there are many factors that influenced him. Of course he is more mature now. I remember the press days for The Master, he looked kind of tired or bored with some questions and some of the interviewers. But i think he was really tired of explaining that the film wasn´t about Scientology.

For Inherent Vice, he was more relaxed and funny. Maybe as a reflect of the film´s mood? I remember that he even danced during the fisrt seconds of the NYFF press conference. He seemed really happy!

Watch second: 00:45

And now that he is doing the press for Phantom Thread he looks chill and calm, and gentle, maybe he is just in a good mood. Happy for the new joint with DDL.

Finally i suppose the marketing team of every Studio has an influence and Focus is doing a very interesting campaign i think. Maybe they told him to be more interactive with the fans and they came up with the idea of the Q&A for Twiitter or that kind of stuff.

There are a number of enthusiastic, happy Master/Vice interviews, as I recall: especially the PTA NYFF Masterclass, the Vice NYFF press conference, that really long Q and A he did in Australia for The Master, Maron, and the Spielberg/Scorsese/Demme interviews he conducted in that same era. The initial grumpiness of that TIFF interview for Master did seem a bit over the top, but as I recall it was a pretty annoying, lazy, baity Scientology question.

Logged

"Do you laugh at jealousy?"

"No, I don't even laugh at seasickness! I happen to regard jealousy as the seasickness of passion."

I recently returned to The Master's press conference from Venice. PTA mentions that he had asked Joaquin Phoenix to join many of his previous movies and had been turned down. I remember learning about this around that time and I'm still curious about it. Was he offered a part in TWBB, I wonder? Joaquin and DDL in the same movie just seems like such an irresistible and exciting prospect. I really wish we had been given an opportunity to see that happen (not necessarily in TWBB, which is obviously perfect as is, but in a new PTA movie).

I also re-watched a video from the 2008 San Sebastian Film Festival and PTA talks about how he's not sure what he's going to do next, but that he's planning on working with Day-Lewis again in a few years. That didn't pan out quite as quickly as he indicated there, but that's not really surprising as things like that shift around all the time.

TWBB is the first and only time I ever thought he seemed truly joyless doing press, but I felt it profoundly so. I don't know what was in the water at that time in his life, especially because he seems to reflect on it so fondly now, but I just remember feeling that he was presenting himself as completely closed off, and even feeling like the experience of that production had sapped the light in his eyes slightly. I'm reticent to place too much emphasis on the whole "kids" aspect, which is sensible but also feels vaguely like a catchall. I don't know what it was.

One thing I think is worth pointing out is that his press habits differed wildly between TWBB -> TM -> IV -> PT -- and those were all distributed by different companies. So my money is on the distributors doing most of the bookings and him following those however he's most comfortable. I know there's a tendency to fall into the trap of, "but PTA calls all the shots! He doesn't do ANYTHING he doesn't want to do!" but I would venture to guess that attitude is mostly funneled into posters, trailers, TV spots, rollout patterns, etc.

I remember him speaking positively of his marketing collaboration with the Warner Brothers team for Vice, and I think it's feasible he's relented a bit on micromanaging this sort of thing -- particularly because any distributor he would work with at this point is going to have a good sense of what his vibe is already going into it, and who his films are for.

FWIW, box office receipts on Phantom Thread obviously haven't been stellar (although I would argue better than some here are making it seem -- we forget the film's barely reached international at this point), but it seems to have really invigorated the likes of us. So maybe Focus made a calculation that there's no use in trying to create converts at this point and to just play to the work's strengths -- from a financial perspective a failure (to this point), but from a These-Promotional-Materials-Are-Sick-And-Make-Me-Stoked-For-A-New-PTA perspective, I think it's probably the best of any of his films since Blood.

TWBB is the first and only time I ever thought he seemed truly joyless doing press, but I felt it profoundly so.

See I had the complete opposite reaction. I remember him being ecstatic showing that film, and beaming with pride during interviews. His appearance with Elvis Mitchell on the Treatment comes to mind.

Ultimately we are all making assumptions based on the narrow window of media time we are exposed to with each film. We have no idea truly what's going through his head doing press or in regular life, nor do we really need to. I have heard him say on many occasions he's at his happiest when he's making and showing movies.

"TICHENOR: This is the fireside chat. This scene was originally many times this length. A lot more dialogue. Sections about his children and the baby-mamas, etc. About Alma’s desire to be a wife… a lot… minutes. But, ultimately, and from the beginning really, it was rhythmically obviously too long, but also way too many things in it. In paring down the film we took out most of this scene, so it plays as part of the falling-in-love date and not as its own chapter"

Im glad that stuff isnt in the movie. It kind of complicates things a bit too much although it's not unrealistic for the times.

"TICHENOR: This is the fireside chat. This scene was originally many times this length. A lot more dialogue. Sections about his children and the baby-mamas, etc. About Alma’s desire to be a wife… a lot… minutes. But, ultimately, and from the beginning really, it was rhythmically obviously too long, but also way too many things in it. In paring down the film we took out most of this scene, so it plays as part of the falling-in-love date and not as its own chapter"

Im glad that stuff isnt in the movie. It kind of complicates things a bit too much although it's not unrealistic for the times.

I'm ultimately glad for those decisions ... but it would be really interesting to have all that stuff in there in some sort of extended cut/extended story.